2015 Honda Gold Wing F6B Deluxe Review

Maybe you want a touring bike that’s like nothing else out there. Maybe you want a cruiser that’s not a cookie-cutter clone. Maybe you just want a bike that’s big enough to take you wherever you want to go, and do it in comfort and style, with plenty of class and independence.

If that’s what you’re after, Honda’s Gold Wing F6B Deluxe is your kind of bike. Big, smooth, powerful. The Gold Wing F6B Deluxe uses technology gathered from our own Honda Gold Wing, a bike that’s set the standards in Luxury Touring for the last 40 years. But the F6B is lighter, trimmer and leaner. You’re going to find that it’s perfect for around-town rides, shorter trips or weekend getaways. And you’re also going to find that it will blow away just about any conventional cruiser in terms of looks and commanding presence—not to mention on-road performance.

New colors for 2015 give the F6B rider more options. A new blacked-out exhaust gives the 2015 F6B a throatier, more aggressive sound. Cruise control? You asked for it, and here it is. And the F6B is still available in two trim levels—standard and deluxe. With plenty of storage capacity and with many of the Gold Wing’s comfort and luxury features, the F6B is ready to take you wherever adventure calls. Isn’t it about time you answer?

While they can certainly appreciate the finer things in life, some people prefer a little bit of edge to add excitement. You know the type, the ones who add a shot of espresso to their morning coffee, well the F6B is made for these folks. All the essentials that make the Gold Wing such an incredible touring machine, but with a boost in performance, handling and style to add a dose of attitude. For 2015 the F6B includes the cruise control from its more civilized sibling and helps celebrate its Gold Wing heritage by proudly displaying 40th anniversary emblems. And, if you’re looking for an added edge, this year’s F6B will feature a blacked-out muffler and adopts the same exhaust sound of the Valkyrie.

The Bagger trend has found great popularity over the last decade. It centres around fully-dressed touring bikes stripped down to just a couple of bags out back, with cut-down screen and minimal fairing.

It’s a style that has injected an undiluted custom attitude into the traditional touring arena, with a combination of cool credibility, genuine practicality and fresh, exciting style inspired by the needs of a younger generation of rider.

In 2013 Honda unleashed a new breed of Gold Wing to sit alongside the peerless original. The Gold Wing F6B Deluxe was stripped, stylish and smooth; part custom, part cruiser. But the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe was very much all Bagger: a touring bike distilled to its absolute essence, powered by one of Honda’s engineering jewels – the incredibly soulful horizontally-opposed six-cylinder engine.

In celebration of the Gold Wing’s 40th year of production, the 2015 Gold Wing F6B Deluxe has received two important upgrades in response to owner requests, plus commemorative emblems and key fob to mark this special motorcycling milestone.

Model Overview

The 1,832cc engine driving the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe is an undoubted masterwork, but it’s the style of the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe that initially grabs attention. From its stubby screen it flows fluidly from front to rear, and for 2015 the new Matt Bullet Silver Metallic paint, set against blacked-out frame, forks, wheels and swingarm, gives Honda’s biggest Bagger a subtle, cool presence. Exclusive seats provide long distance comfort and support for rider and pillion and the 4-speaker sound system guarantees listening pleasure at speed from the RDS stereo system.

Feedback from owners has led to two specification upgrades for 2015. Reverse gear is now also original equipment on the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe. Operated from the right handlebar and driven by the electric starter motor reverse helps back the bike out of an uphill parking space, especially when loaded or with a pillion. The second addition – electronic cruise control – makes long highway days pass even more easily.

The twin-spar aluminium frame provides strength and delivers a great handling motorcycle, as do 45mm anti-dive telescopic forks and Pro-Link rear suspension. A Dual Combined ABS braking system ensures rapid and secure stopping power on a variety of road surfaces and conditions.

Built to be at home in an urban environment as well as the open road, the 2015 Gold Wing F6B Deluxe is 29kg lighter than the Gold Wing GL1800 yet packs similar chassis, power and stunning torque delivery. Add its stunning looks and undeniable road presence – plus 40th anniversary emblems found on the fairing front and inner – and it’s a machine that serves up a very special riding experience.

•Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) features an electric-motor-driven modulator that provides rapid and precise braking-pressure adjustments, resulting in smooth ABS operation. The system incorporates an integrated ECU, self-diagnostics with an interactive ECU test function, and automatic protection against system failure.

•Commemorative emblems celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Gold Wing

•The Gold Wing based aerodynamic bodywork is functional as well as beautiful, providing excellent rider wind protection while reducing the aerodynamic drag coefficient. •Shorty windshield provides protection from the elements while also giving the rider a clear view of the road ahead.

Cruise Control

New for 2015, we’re introducing cruise control as a standard feature. It’s a perfect addition for a bike like the F6B that’s designed for some serious distance riding.

Integrated Luggage

Luggage performs better when it’s designed in, not added as an afterthought. The F6B sports twin-integrated saddlebags with 22 liters of storage; both are lockable and sealed against the elements.

Six-Cylinder Engine

Based on the Gold Wing’s 1832cc powerplant, the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe’s engine features the same smooth power. And since the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe is lighter, it’s going to feel even more powerful.

Two Feature-Package Versions

Gold Wings have always been famous for creature comforts. So the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe comes loaded with everything from control, surround sound to an adjustable air suspension. The F6B Deluxe goes even further, with self-cancelling turn signals, backrest, heated grips, centerstand and more.

It’s impossible to compare the F6B to the competition, because there’s nothing else like it on the road except for our own Gold Wing and Valkyrie. And as you’d expect from a motorcycle of this caliber, the F6B offers the refinement, fit and finish, and overall dedication to advanced engineering and quality that only a Honda can. We’ve been making Gold Wings for 40 years now, and the F6B benefits from all that experience. One ride and you’ll see what we’re talking about. And you’ll wonder why anyone could settle for anything less.

Aggressive Styling

It’s like no other Gold Wing we’ve ever made. The F6B features sleek, super streamlined bodywork with a lower, swoopier profile that sweeps back from the minimal windscreen to the low rear cowl right where the trunk could have been. And where other bikes have chrome, the F6B is pure blacked-out metal, from engine casing to the cast wheels.

Low-Profile Windscreen

When it comes to engineering, Honda has unmatched resources. Countless hours in our research facility wind tunnels led to the F6B’s revolutionary windscreen. With its minimal design it saves weight, eliminates a prime cause of wind drag and delivers absolutely amazing wind and weather protection. Riders will also love how open the cockpit now feels.

Audio System With Surround Sound

Making a superior motorcycle sound system is a challenge, but it’s one that Honda has mastered like no other bike maker. You’ll be amazed when you experience the clear, powerful surround sound (SRS CS Auto*) with deep, powerful bass. And for those who prefer headsets (SRS Headphone*), you’ll discover sound that feels three-dimensional and totally realistic (SRS CS Auto*)**.

Advanced Wind And Weather Protection

At first glance, the F6B looks bare of wind and weather protection. But on your first ride, you understand its radical bodywork. Through careful design, rider and passenger are shielded from wind, cold and rain. This is a carefully tuned fuselage that deflects the environment and vastly improves rider comfort. It’s part of what makes a Gold Wing world-class touring machine.

1832cc Liquid-Cooled, Fuel-Injected Engine

Sometimes a powerplant rises above the merely functional and becomes an icon for superior engineering. It is this engineering that powers the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe. The technically savvy are impressed with its electronic programmable fuel injection, its compact flat-six design, how it’s horizontally opposed for smoothness and the fact that all this is achieved with regular unleaded gasoline. Even more impressive is the character this liquid-cooled 1832cc six gives the Gold Wing F6B Deluxe. Effortless, comfortable, completely competent year after year.

Cruise Control

Perfected on our Gold Wing touring bikes, the F6B’s cruise control offers a full range of features: set, resume, step up- and down. It works seamlessly, and it makes this smooth-riding machine seem even smoother, and it a real benefit on long, straight highway sections.

Heated Grips

Sure, you always wear gloves, but what if they’re not heavy enough for really cold weather? Now there’s help right at your fingertips-literally. Experienced riders know this concept that sounds like a luxury until you have it; then it becomes a necessity you’ll never want to ride without. (Deluxe Model)

Glovebox Within Glove Reach

Because all Gold Wings feature a low-mounted fuel tank, there’s additional storage room right in front of the rider. It’s easy to access this convenient storage, and it’s lockable for items like your cell phone, GPS or camera for scenic turnouts.

Easy-Up Centerstand

Sometimes a side stand just isn’t enough. Putting your F6B up on the centerstand gives you a little more confidence when you park it and leave it—no chance of it accidentally being brushed past and pushed over. If you’ve ever come back and found your bike on its side, you know the feeling. It also makes routine maintenance on the bike a lot easier. (Deluxe Model)

Comfortable Seat

You don’t design a comfortable seat for two without putting in real miles, and Honda engineers have racked up millions of them. Our experience and testing have created a new seat design that gives the rider just enough back support while providing the passenger an elevated view so they can see more than the back of a helmet. The F6B’s carefully tuned padding and shape mean more pleasure from more miles in the saddle.

Adjustable Suspension

On a touring motorcycle, how much weight you carry constantly changes. Passenger or no passenger, loaded or empty saddlebags: you need an adjustable suspension that’s also easy to adjust. The F6B features a rear Pro Arm® single-side swingarm with Pro-Link single shock. Best of all, the spring-preload adjustment is remote-controlled.

Long-Distance Seating

You don’t design a comfortable seat for two without putting in real miles, and Honda engineers have racked up millions of them. Our experience and testing have created a seat design that gives the rider just enough back support while providing the passenger an elevated view so they can see more than the back of a helmet. The F6B’s carefully tuned padding and shape mean more pleasure from more miles in the saddle.

Shaft Final Drive

Clean, efficient and virtually maintenance-free, the F6B’s proven shaft final drive is exactly what you want on a bike like this. You can pile on the miles without ever having to worry about lubricating or adjusting a chain.

Passenger Backrest

Nothing makes passengers happier, especially on bikes, than a comfortable and secure backrest. The F6B features a sleek, modern design that’s totally integrated with its overall look. It’s just wide enough, just padded enough to make every mile just a little more comfortable for your riding partner. And you can’t be happy if they’re not happy. (Deluxe Model)

iPod® Connectivity

The Gold Wing F6B Deluxe has an unbeatable sound system, so don’t forget to pack your music. Now you can connect a compatible Apple® iPod® player and control it through the Gold Wing’s audio controls, or you can plug in a USB flash drive MP3, WMA6 or AAC music files. The connector is located in the lockable saddlebags, where devices can be conveniently carried and discreetly stored.

Spacious Storage

Creating a high-performance touring bike means paying careful attention to the art of packing. The Gold Wing F6B Deluxe’s twin saddlebags are mounted low for a better center of gravity, sealed to be weather resistant and lockable to deter thievery. Offering 22 liters of space, there’s ample room for the stuff you need to enjoy every trip.

Self-Cancelling Turn Signals

When you share the road, you always want other riders and drivers to know what your intentions are, so it can be unsettling when you realize you left your turn signal blinking long after the turn. The F6B is equipped with turn signals that automatically turn off after they detect that you’ve completed a turn. (Deluxe Model)

New Exhaust System

Baggers have a little attitude—and the F6B sets plenty of records in that department. But for 2015 it has a little more audio attitude too, thanks to new exhaust internals that give it a throatier, meaner sound.

Beautiful multi-box-section aluminum dual-spar frame and Pro-Arm single-sided cast aluminum swingarm set new class standards for handling.. The innovative aluminum frame is specifically engineered for optimum rigidity with tuned flex. This combination of rigidity and flexibility produces excellent handling, superb riding comfort and wonderful road feel.. Inherently smooth flat-six-cylinder engine also serves as a tuned stressed frame member. The solid engine-mounting system utilizes specially designed hangers and carefully matched mounting bolts to provide both excellent road feel and minimal engine vibration.. The Gold Wing rigid Pro-Arm single-sided cast aluminum swingarm provides simplified servicing of the rear wheel and tire, while assuring optimum handling.. Dual full-floating 296 mm front discs with Dual-Combined Braking System three-piston calipers and a single ventilated 316 mm rear disc with one Dual-Combined Braking System three-piston caliper provide excellent braking power.. Honda’s Dual-Combined Braking System features a second master cylinder and a three-stage proportional control valve (PCV) to couple the three-piston calipers of the dual front and single rear brake discs. Using the front brake lever activates the outer two pistons of the front right-side caliper and the centre piston of the front left-side caliper and, acting through the secondary master cylinder and an inline proportioning valve, the outer two pistons of the rear caliper. The rear brake pedal operates the centre piston of the rear brake caliper, the centre piston of the front right-side brake caliper and the outer two pistons of the front left-side caliper. A delay valve sensitive to the rider’s pedal pressure smoothes front brake engagement.. Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) features an electric-motor-driven modulator that provides rapid and precise braking-pressure adjustments, resulting in smooth ABS operation. The system incorporates an integrated ECU, self-diagnostics with an interactive ECU test function, and automatic protection against system failure.. Massive 45 mm front fork houses a cartridge damper in the right leg with 122 mm (4.8 inches) of travel for a smooth yet superb ride in all road conditions.. Anti-dive system minimizes front fork dive when braking. The system utilizes brake fluid pressure generated in the secondary Dual-Combined Braking System master cylinder mounted on the left fork leg and is activated by input from either the front brake lever or the rear brake pedal. This application of anti-dive and Dual-Combined Braking System produces enhanced stability when manoeuvring at both low speeds and highway speeds.. Pro-Link-mounted rear shock provides 104 mm (4.1 inches) of plush travel for relaxed touring or sport riding.. Unique driveshaft-damping system utilizes a double-pipe structure, with a rubber-bonded coating applied to the inner pipe to absorb road shock and engine torque. The long-life design simplifies rear wheel maintenance.. Final gearcase assembly design in the Pro-Arm eliminates wheel alignment splines and assures accurate alignment of the rear wheel after servicing.. Cast aluminum 18 x 3.5-inch front wheel and 16 x 5.0-inch rear wheel are lightweight and strong. Radial touring tires are specifically engineered for the Gold Wing, providing a combination of excellent traction, cornering grip and long tire life..

Additional Features

Lightweight electronic cruise control system utilizes a 16-bit ECU-controlled, motor-actuated throttle mechanism.. Commemorative emblems celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Gold Wing. The parallel two-valve cylinder head design, together with side-mounted radiators, allows optimum ergonomics, with excellent rider foot room and a large passenger area.. The Gold Wing based aerodynamic bodywork is functional as well as beautiful, providing excellent rider wind protection while reducing the aerodynamic drag coefficient.. Shorty windshield provides protection from the elements while also giving the rider a clear view of the road ahead.. Wide, well-padded seat provides excellent comfort for both rider and passenger, and a low seat height adds confidence during low-speed manoeuvring.. Motorized headlight aiming system is operated by a dial switch and provides 2.5 degrees of adjustment from level.. Large 25-litre fuel tank houses the PGM-FI fuel pump and provides excellent long-distance cruising range.. Headlight system features two 55-watt H7 low-beam and two 55-watt H7 high-beam bulbs with computer-designed multi-reflectors. In high-beam operation, all four bulbs produce a distinctive front lighting signature.. Engine and saddlebag guards help protect the bodywork in case of a tip-over.. Handsome two-piece aluminum handlebars are lightweight and strong.. Adjustable brake and clutch levers.. Dual electric spiral horns trumpet a distinctive note.. 20-amp YTX maintenance-free battery.. Dual helmet locks.. Convenient ignition switch/fork lock for added security.. 3 year, unlimited mileage, freely transferable warranty; extended coverage available with Honda Plus..

Curb Weight 855 pounds (Includes all standard equipment, required fluids and a full tank of fuel—ready to ride)

Fuel Capacity 6.6 gallons

Miles Per Gallon 34 MPG – Miles per gallon values are calculated estimates of fuel consumed during laboratory exhaust emissions tests specified by the EPA, not during on road riding. Use for comparison purposes only. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you ride and maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, cargo and accessories, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.

All specifications are provisional and subject to change without notice.

# Please note that the figures provided are results obtained by Honda under standardised testing conditions prescribed by WMTC. Tests are conducted on a rolling road using a standard version of the vehicle with only one rider and no additional optional equipment. Actual fuel consumption may vary depending on how you ride, how you maintain your vehicle, weather, road conditions, tire pressure, installation of accessories, cargo, rider and passenger weight, and other factors.